live and let die: tony kishman
Tony Kishman | guitar, bass guitar, piano, lead vocals
Singer and Recording artist, Tony Kishman is the creator and band leader of “Live And Let Die”; a full multimedia experience celebrating the music of Paul McCartney and featuring an amazing line-up of world class musicians.
Tony starred for six years in both the national and international tours of Broadway’s smash hit musical, ‘Beatlemania’ and also performs in the International Symphonic Beatles production, ‘Classical Mystery Tour’.
He has been performing his award winning show to the most successful band of all time around the globe for more than a decade, bringing the music and the magic of both the Beatles and Paul McCartney to a new generation, earning raves by ‘Beatlemaniacs’ for his uncanny resemblance both visually and vocally to the beloved Beatle.
A consummate musician and multi-instrumentalist, Tony Kishman had previously performed, recorded and toured with the critically acclaimed band Wishbone Ash and recorded his own music with both RCA and Mercury Records – He is also proudly endorsed by Hofner.
live and let die: Band Members
Chris Camilleri | drums, vocals
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Chris Camilleri had a convenient drum teacher; his dad. He started listening to Beatles records at a young age, and for many years played drums and sang along to the recordings.
Gradually Chris gravitated to progressive rock bands, but retained an obsessive interest in The Beatles and eventually formed the internationally-renowned Beatles cover band Liverpool, which still reunites to perform at the Fests For Beatles Fans (formerly Beatlefest).
Chris has played drums for a variety of touring artists, including Peter Noone (of Herman’s Hermits fame), Badfinger, Micky Dolenz, Joe Walsh, and other Beatles-era bands. He became a good friend and musical associate to Harry Nilsson (who was a contemporary and close friend to all the individual Beatles). In addition to The Beatles, his musical influences include Jethro Tull, Genesis, ELP, and David Bowie.
When not playing music, Chris has an active commercial and voice-over career.
Chris is proudly endorsed by D'Addario.
John Merjave | lead guitar, vocals
John Merjave has been singing and playing instruments since the age of 4. He started out playing drums ‘seriously’ when he was 6 years old but, by high school, he began playing guitar and hasn’t looked back since. Although mostly a self-taught guitarist, he studied Jazz Theory at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music with guitarist Carl Thompson and pianist Enos Payne. But, the driving force in his musical aspirations has always been the music of The Beatles.
In early 2001, John auditioned for the lead guitar position with the Beatles’ tribute band Liverpool. Liverpool is the official house band of The Fest for Beatle Fans, a convention that, since 1974, has occurred annually in New York City and Chicago. Since joining the band, John and Liverpool have backed up such diverse Beatle-related artists as Donovan, Billy Preston, Mickey Dolenz (The Monkees), Spencer Davis, Peter & Gordon, Ronnie Spector, Alan Parsons, Billy J. Kramer, Earl Slick (David Bowie), Joey Molland (Badfinger), Mark Hudson and Neil Innes (Monty Python), among others.
Tommy Williams | rhythm guitar, bass, piano, vocals
Born in Long Island, New York, Tommy Williams immersed himself in The Beatles’ music starting at the age of three. After honing his skills on guitar, bass, keyboards, songwriting and arranging, he began his professional career at 17 on the New York club circuit. He soon landed the position of guitarist, keyboardist and Musical Director for ‘80’s teen-pop queen DEBBIE GIBSON, touring the world and appearing on her first three albums (including lead guitar on the US #1 hit “Lost In Your Eyes”).
Tommy has played with many of his heroes, including Alan White of Yes, Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, Joey Molland of Badfinger, and Steve Holley of Wings. His performances with the New York-based band WONDEROUS STORIES have included “full album” concerts of such seminal works as The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”, Yes’ “The Yes Album”, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” and The Who’s “Tommy”, as well as their annual 25-piece recreation of the George Harrison classic “Concert For Bangladesh”. He also performs regularly with John Fogerty keyboard wizard Bob Malone.
After being a fan of the band for 20-plus years, Tommy is currently touring with Philadelphia’s THE HOOTERS (“And We Danced”, “All You Zombies”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and Joan Osborne’s “One Of Us”), providing vocals, guitar, mandolin, mandola and keyboards, and playing to sold-out concert and festival crowds around the world.
Keith Hill | keyboards, vocals
Keith Hill, keyboardist, born in New York City, raised in Levittown New York, has been performing live since 16, with the New York tri-state area’s top club and tribute bands. Early on, he was opening for the Ramones, David Byrne, the Dixie Dregs, 38 Special, and many others. Keith is currently working with Full House, and East Coast, two of New York's top club and club date bands. He is a long-time member of one of the country’s top jam bands, Great Caesar's Ghost, who have featured drummer Butch Trucks, and guitarist GE Smith, and can currently be heard on Sirius XM radio. Recently, Keith is recording with up and coming country band, Nashville Skyline.
JD Leonard | rhythm guitar, bass, piano, vocals
Tennessee born and southern bred, performing recording artist JD Leonard delivers gravel road grit with city slick sophistication. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and vocalist; Leonard is the secret in many of the music industry hubs' most famous arsenals. A native of both Nashville and New York, Leonard spent his earliest years journeying between these high profile locations, honing his multi-faceted talents with some of musics most well regarded writers, producers, performers and business minds.
Along with his solo releases, JD's crafty, genre leaping writing style and musicianship has landed him high profile music associations with members of the New York and Nashville musical elite as well. His writing seamlessly weaves from projects including television (“Renegade Writer” – artist and co-writer), movies ("Rich Boy, Rich Girl" - Music Supervisor and artist and songwriter on "Trying Not To Fall"), established artists (“Love is the Knife” from “Rocks and Honey” - Bonnie Tyler (Warner Bros) and many new arrivals.
In addition to performing as a multi-instrumentalist with "Live And Let Die," a Symphonic Tribute to Paul McCartney, JD has shared the stage with great company like Air Supply, Lo-Cash and Dan Ackroyd. The magic of New York also has him fronting bands in NYC clubs with members of Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Meatloaf, Billy Joel, Spyro Gyra, Daryl Hall, Eddie Money and Ted Nugent as well.
His current projects include collaborations with Grammy nominated Richie Cannata (Billy Joel), Grammy nominated Jim Sells (True Vibe), Mike Sorrentino (9 Days), Music Supervision for multiple films and As an artist, JD Leonard is currently working on several exciting projects including his own, brand new EP, "Vagabond" (Summer 2017) with the legendary Nashville producer, David Huff.
Chris Holt | rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals
Christopher Holt is a jack of all trades, and if you ask him, a master of none. But that doesn’t stop him from trying his hand at just about everything.
When he’s not busy touring the world as guitarist for Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame legend Don Henley, the five-time Dallas Observer Music Award winner (three of them for Musician Of The Year) juggles his time between being an in-demand multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter fronting his own bands, while releasing solo albums in between. He’s played with dozens of acclaimed artists from the DFW area over the past 20 years, including Sorta, The Slack, Olospo, Salim Nourallah, Johnny Lloyd Rollins, and many others. He’s also been a longtime member of spot-on cover acts like Hard Nights Day, Band On The Run, and Holt & Stockslager. Additionally, he’s a dedicated teacher and mentor to budding musicians across the DFW metroplex, while being a husband and father of three.
Chris plays a wide variety of instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, drums, pedal steel, lap steel, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and harmonica. He loves movies, roller coasters, dogs, Tex-Mex, and The Beatles. He despises brown paper bags and straws. Oh, and pencils. They’re the worst.
Brad Swiger | drums, vocals
A native Texan, Brad first picked up a drumstick at the age of 5. After seeing old videos of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. After years of playing in school bands, Brad hit the road touring the country with many of country music’s legends, such as, Johnny Lee, Janie Fricke & The Bellamy Brothers. In 2002, he was asked by Darius Rucker to sub for one show with Hootie & The Blowfish. In more recent years, Brad has portrayed Ringo in some of the top Beatles tribute bands in the country, as well as sharing the stage with former members of Paul Mccartney & Wings, Laurence Juber & Denny Seiwell. In 2017, Brad finally met Ringo Starr.
It was a surreal moment that Brad will never forget. In his spare time, Brad can be found in used record shops and spending time with his dog, Susie.
Jim Owen | rhythm guitar, piano, vocals
Singer/arranger/musician, Jim Owen was just sixteen when he made his first professional appearance in a Beatles tribute band. By the time he was eighteen, he was touring internationally with various productions of Beatlemania, visiting Japan, Korea, China, Canada, Mexico, and South America, and performing his Beatles tribute in concert halls, stadiums and theatres around the world.
In addition to his featured role in Live & Let Die, Jim currently stars, along with his long time band mate Tony Kishman, in the Beatles symphony show, Classical Mystery Tour and in Twist & Shout. The success of these projects has given Jim notoriety in his own right as a producer and band leader, and represents the fulfillment of his dream to share with the public live performances of some of the greatest music ever written and recorded.
Jim Owen was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. He began studying piano at 6 and won honors in various piano performance competitions through his teenage years. He was 8 years old when he first heard The Beatles and promptly decided to take up the study of the guitar.
Martin Herman | Conductor
Martin Herman has appeared as guest conductor with symphony orchestras in North America, Europe, Australia, and Canada. His most recent engagements include the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Ft. Worth Symphony Orchestra with Windborne’s “Music of the Rolling Stones” and “Music of the Eagles.”
He recently guest-conducted Das Sinfonie Orchester Berlin at the Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal and continues as music director and arranger for “Classical Mystery Tour” in recent performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the Sydney Opera House, Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Florida Orchestra.
Martin also served as music director and conductor with Downtown Opera in Long Beach, California, conducting premieres of new operas in the U.S. and the Czech Republic. In the fall of 2009, he was conductor and music director at LaMaMa Theatre in New York City where he led performances of his one-act opera, The Doctor, based on Chekhov short stories. He has served as assistant conductor with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and conductor of the Berkeley Young Musicians Program Orchestra and U.C. Berkeley Summer Orchestra. Additionally Mr. Herman has conducted several orchestra crossover projects in Amsterdam and Berlin.
Mr. Herman studied conducting and composition at Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of California, Berkeley and spent two years in Paris, France on a Fulbright Grant and U.C. Berkeley Ladd Prix de Paris where he worked as conductor and composer with the “New American Music in Europe” and “American Music Week” festivals. He has received recognition for his work in the promotion of international cultural exchange from the Trust for Mutual Understanding, New York City.
